Vacuum sealing machine



y 1934 A. E. LINDSTROM ,958,951

VACUUM SEALING MACHINE Filed April 1:5. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

WW 4 Co.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 15, 1934 VACUUM SEALING MACHINE Andrew E. Lindstrom, San Francisco, Calif.

Application April 13,

6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in vacuum sealing machines and it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a vacuum sealing machine which is designed primarily to withdraw all air from a food container and then to force a cover into closed position on the container. The sealing of the container is done 10 within a bell and the air is evacuated from this bell prior to the moving of the lid into closed position. Air is allowed to enter the bell after the cover is sealed and before the container is removed from the bell.

The sealing mechanism is continuous in operation and the operator merely has to place the cover loosely upon the top of the container and then direct the container into the feeding mechanism. The rest of the operations are automatic.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompany- 25 ing drawings forming a part of this application,

in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device; Figure 2 is a top plan view; Figure 3 is a vertical section through one of 30 the bells;

Figure 4 is a vertical section through a part of the mechanism;

Figures 5, 6 and '7 are plan views of other parts of the mechanism;

Figure 8 is a vertical section through a portion of the device certain of the parts in this section being shown in elevation; and

Figure 9 is a development of the cam used in the device.

In carrying out my invention I provide an upright 1 supporting one end of a platform or table top 2. A second upright 3 supports the other end of the table top and this upright is secured to a base 4 (see Figure 1)'that carries a cylindrical 4.; casing 5, this casing supporting a top 6 (see Figure 4). Above the top 6 I dispose a plate 7, and a valve plate 8 is disposed on top of the plate 7.

A driving shaft 9 (see Figures 1 and 4) extends vertically through the casing and has its lower 50 end journaled in a bearing 10 and its upper end journaled in the top casting 6. A turn table 11 is secured to the shaft 9 and is placed on the same level as the table top 2. The turn table receives containers from the table top 2 in a manner now 55 to be described.

1931, Serial No. 529,845

In Figure 2 I show an endless conveyor 12 that is passed around sprockets 13 and 14. The sprocket 13 is mounted on a shaft 15 and Figure 1 shows this shaft operatively connected to the shaft 9 by a chain and sprockets 16. The shafts 9 and 15 are rotated by a motor 17 which is connected to the shaft 18 by a belt and pulleys 19. The shaft 18 carries a worm 20 that meshes with a worm gear 21 and the worm gear is secured to the shaft 9.

The sprocket 14 is carried by a bracket 22 (see Figure 2) which is adjustably secured to the table top 2. The endless conveyor 12 has outwardly extending fingers 23 which cooperate with a guide 24 for moving containers 25 over the table top 2 and onto the turn table 11. A guide 26 is adjustable at 27 for guiding the containers 25 into the proper position on the turn table 11.

The turn table 11 carries a number of pistons 28 (see Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4). The pistons when passing the exit end of the feeding means have their upper surfaces disposed flush with the top of the turn table 11. Adjustable screws 29 (see Figure 1) are used for stopping the downward movement of the pistonswhen they are disposed flush with the turntable. These screws are carried by castings 30 which in turn are secured to the turn table 11. The castings 30 have bearings 31 for slidably receiving piston rods 32 that are connected to the pistons 28.

The purpose of the pistons 28 is to raise the containers 25 into bells 33 (see Figure 3) during the rotation of the turn table 11. The guide 26 positions the container 25 on the registering piston 28 and beneath a cooperating bell 33. The piston is then raised by a means presently to be described and moves the container into the bell.

I will now describe the construction of the bells. The top of the shaft 9 (see Figure 8) extends through a casting 34 and has its upper end 35 threaded for receiving a wing nut 36. A spring 3'7 yieldingly keeps the casting 34 contacting with the nut 36. The casting 34 has a plurality of arms (see Figure 2) and each arm carries a sleeve 38 (see Figure 3) which is secured in place by a set screw 39. The sleeve 38 has an outwardly extending flange 40 which supports an outer sleeve 41. The outer sleeve is slidable on the inner sleeve 38 and carries the bell 33. A spring 42 extends between the arm of the casting 34 and the top of the bell 33 and yieldingly holds the sleeve 41 against the flange 40.

Within the sleeve 38 I disposed a shaft 43 which is threaded at 44 and is received within a threaded portion of the sleeve 38. The shaft 43 is adjustable by means of a handle 45 and raises or lowers a cover closing member 46 that is disposed within the bell 33. A look nut 47 holds the shaft 43 in adjusted position.

The casing 5 carries a cam 48 of the shape shown in Figure 9. Each piston rod 32 carries a roller 49 that rides on the cam 48. Immediately after the container 25 is received on a piston 28 the roller 49 cooperating with that piston contacts with an inclined portion 50 of the cam 48 and causes the piston to lift the container into the bell 33. This movement continues until the piston 28 contacts with a rubber gasket 51 '(see Figure 3) secured to the bottom of the bell 33. The roller 49 now travels along the horizontal portion 52 of the cam 48. During this movement air is exhausted from within the bell 33.

Means for exhausting air-from the bell comprises a conduit 53 leading from an air exhausting device not shown and communicating with a vacuum chamber 54 formed in the top casting 6 (see Figures 4 and 7). The top of the chamber 54 is closed by means of the plate 7 (see Figure 6) and this plate has an opening 55 that communicates with the chamber 54. The valve plate 8 covers the opening 55 with the exception of openings 56 that register with the opening 55 during the rotation of the valve plate 8.

The plate 8 is connected to the turn table 11 by pins 57 (see Figure 4) and springs 58 yieldingly hold the valve plate 8 down upon the top of the plate '7.

I have shown each bell 33 provided with a conduit 59 (see Figure 3) and these conduits extend through openings 60 in the turn table 11 (see Figure 4) and are connected to the openings 56 in the valve plate 8. The mechanism is so timed that when the roller 49 (see Figure 1) is riding on the horizontalportion 52 of the cam 48 (see Figure 9) the piston 28 will close the bottom of the bell 33 and the conduit 59 connected with the bell will be registering with the vacuum chamber 54 through its opening 56. Air will therefore be exhausted from the bell 33 and the amount of vacuum will be indicated by a gauge 61. The cover closing member 46 has previously been positioned to contact with the cover 62 that has been lightly placed upon the top of the container-25. The sudden exhausting of the air from the valve 33 will withdrawn-any air from within the container 25 because the cover 62 has not been tightly closed. Any tendency to pull the cover 62 off the container 25 will be prevented by the cover closi'ng member 46 because Figure 3 shows this member already contacting with the cover.

After the air has been exhausted from the bell 33 and the container 25, the roller 52 will ride over a hump 63 on the cam 48. This hump is sufficient to cause the piston 28 to move the bell and container upwardly and the cover closing member 46 will now seal the cover 62 to the container while the vacuum still remains within the bell 33. The spring 42 will yield slightly during this movement.

After the sealing of the container 25 has taken place the roller 49 will descend along an inclined portion 64 of the cam 48 and this will remove the container 25 from the bell 23. Prior to the roller 49 engaging with the inclined portion 64, the opening 56in the valve plate 8 (see Figure 5) that is placing the bell 33 in communication with the vacuum chamber 54, will have passed beyond the slot 55 in the plate '7 and will be in registration with a slot 65. This slot communicates with an opening 66 in the casting 6 which in turn opens to the atmosphere. Air will therefore pass through the registering openings 66, and 56 and then through the conduit 59 to the bell 33 so as to relieve the vacuum within the bell. The relieving of the vacuum permits the piston 28 to move away from the gasket 51.

The roller 49 will return to the lowermost portion 67 on the cam 48 and the piston 28 will now be disposed flush with the top of the turn table 11. The container is carried around by the turn table 11 until the container engages with the conveyor 12 and the conveyor will remove the container from the turn table. I have given the description of sealing one container, but it is obvious that all of the bells 33 receive containers in the proper order and the same operations are repeated for each container.

Figures 1 and 3 show guide rods 68 depending from each piston 28 and sliding in the turn table 11 for the purpose of preventing rotation of the pistons 28 about their longitudinal axes during their vertical movement.

In Figure 7 I show the casting 6 as being provided with an oil reservoir 69 and the plate 7 is provided with an opening '70 registering with the oil reservoir 69. The oil in the reservoir 69 fills the opening 70 and lubricates the contacting surfaces between the plate 7 and the valve plate 8. The oil also acts as a seal against air leakage. The openings 56 in the valve plate 8 after leaving the slot 65 register with an opening 71 in the plate 7 prior to registering with the slot 55. The opening 71 is in registration with an opening '72 in the casting 6. The aligned openings 72, '71 and 56 act in the same way as the aligned openings 66, 65 and 56 and continue to place the interior of the bell in communication with the atmosphere.

Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of various changes and I reserve the right to employ such-changes as may come within the scope of the claims hereto annexed.

I claim:

1. A vacuum sealing machine comprising a turn table, container lifting devices carried by said turn table, means for feeding containers onto the lifting devices, a container receiving bell associated with each lifting device, means for rotating the turntable and bells, means for moving the lifting devicesfor moving the containers into the bells and for closing the bells, means whereby air is exhausted from the closed bells for withdrawing air from the containers, cover closing members extending into the bells, said means for moving the container lifting devices again moving the containers for causing the cover closing members to seal the covers on the containers, and means for placing the bells in communication with the atmosphere after the covers have been sealed,"said means for moving the container lifting devices removing the containers from the bells.

2. In combination, a support, a bell yieldingly carried thereby, a cover closing member carried by the support and being received in the bell, a container supporting member, and means for imparting two movements to the container supporting member, the first to close the bell, and

the second to move the bell with respect to the cover closing member for causing the latter to seal a cover on the container.

3. In combination, a support, a bell yieldingly carried thereby, a cover closing member carried by the support and being received in the bell, a

container supporting member, and means for imparting two movements to the container supporting member, the first to close the bell, and the second to move the hell with respect to the cover closing member for causing the latter to seal a cover on the container, a turntable carrying the container supporting member, a shaft carrying the bell supporting member and turntable, and adjustable means for positioning the container supporting member flush with the turn table when the former is in its lower-most position.

4. In combination, a support, a bell yieldingly carried thereby, a cover closing member carried by the support and being received in the bell, a container supporting member, and means forimparting two movements to the container supporting member, the first to close the bell, and the second to move the bell with respect to the cover closing member for causing the latter to seal a cover on the container, and means for placing the bell in communication with a source of vacuum after the bell has been closed and for relieving the vacuum after the cover has been sealed to the container.

5. In combination, a support, a bell yieldingly carried thereby, a cover closing member carried by the support and within the bell, a container supporting member and means for moving the latter toward the cover closing member for first closing the bell and then moving the bell for bringing the container in coacting relation with the cover closing member, the moving means in-- cluding a cam having a non-active portion arranged to provide a period of rest between the two movements to allow a vacuum to be created in the interim.

6. In combination, a supporting arm, a sleeve vertically supported thereby and having a. flange at its lower end, a shaft inside of the sleeve and having means for positioning the same relative to the sleeve and having a disc at the bottom thereof, a bell slidable on the sleeve between the arm and the flange, spring means urging the bell toward the flange and means associated with the open end of the bell for conveying a container into the bell and up against the disc.

ANDREW E. LINDS'I'ROM. 

